# A yellowish cello wrapper is a thing of beauty



## ouirknotamuzd (Jan 29, 2011)

*I don't know about youse Folks....but I love it when a cellophane wrapper turns yellow.

Cigars are organic...they take in air..they respond happily to a good climate..and, like people, they produce gas(kinda like Me on Chili and Beer night). These gasses occur more often than not because cigar manufacturers ship out their product right after they've been rolled and the tobacco is still very young.
As with wines and beers, tobacco ferments...its sugars in the leaves are constantly converting its oils and resins into the flavor components that make cigars so tasty. And as with all fermentation processes, gasses are expelled....gasses like ammonia and sulfur and so forth and so on....hence, that "barnyard" smell you sometimes pick up from the foot of a cigar during inspection.....I look forward to that smell..it tells me that fermentation is under way and it's a good time to fire one up to see what kind of flavors are developing.
When a cigar manufacturer put a cello wrapper on a newly made smoke.....it's crystal clear.....and that certainly doesn't stop the fermentation process...the wrapper and binder and filler tobaccos just keep on converting the sugars and expelling gases, and as the gas leaves the cigar, it leaves a residue on the cellophane...and over longer periods of time..the wrapper itself turns a yellowish tinge....leaving a message that the cigar inside has been aging and fermenting beautifully and is ready to be herfinated:smoke:

Sooooo..as far as I'm concerned...leaving the cello on when you put yer smokes in yer humidor or tupperdor or coolerdor for resting or aging serves many good purposes.....not only does it protect the wrapper from damage, but the color of the cello itself can give you a clear indication of how long it's been in storage in a warehouse humidor, or a B&M walk-in humidor, or even yer own storage unit.

Personal example:
A couple of weeks ago, I received some cigars after winning them in an online auction.....one was a 5-pack of Punch Uppercut robustos....another was a 5-pack of Partagas Black Magnificos.....I knew that they were going to go into storage after their long journey, but I wanted to check the cellophane on one of each of the smokes I got to see what it would tell me( I apologize for not having any visual aids to show you the cello, but I don't own a digital camera cuz I spend most of my disposable income on cigars:razz I lie the cellos on a sheet of blank white printer paper to get a clear picture

The Results:
Punch Uppercut robusto: The cellophane was clear as crystal...this tells me that this sucker was probably just rolled and wrapped and hasn't had much aging...so in it goes into one of my plastic long-term storage containers for some serious aging.....2-3 months minimum.

Partagas Black Magnifico: This cellophane had a beautiful yellow film on the wrapper..clearly, this bad boy did some serious time in a humidified warehouse before I got them....at least a year...so I'm confident that they are primed and ready for Herfination.....I can put all 5 in one of my humis now and smoke 'em whenever the mood hits me:cowboyic9:

Now, I'm sure after someone reads this, they'll think to themselves.."Okay...checking the cello is all well and good....but not all cigars are shipped out wrapped in cello....what then,huh?"

fair enough question....there are at least 2 ways I know to tell if a cigar has some age on it if there no cello:

Test #1 The Band Test: if the cigar has a band on it......and you can slide the band easily up and down the cigar, then the excess moisture has left the cigar during it's fermentation phase, meaning it's got some age on it and is ready for Herfination.

Test #2 The Smoke Test: you take a cigar....light it up...and if you like the taste of it....it's ready to smokeound:

if any of youse Folks have anything to add...please do.....we're all here to learn and share our passion......and I'll try to add some visual aids if I decide to post again in the future:bounce:

Live Long and Prosper....and smoke Cigars:rockon:

"Quitting smoking is the easiest thing in the world....I've done it hundreds of times."- Mark Twain
*


----------



## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

I've always wondered what the yellow on the cellophane was. If I had to guess, I would think they come from cellophane decomposing with release of ammonia from the cigar. I've also wondered if some maduro give off colors more than others. One particular cigar company prides themselves with using 100% natural wrapper and would not give off colors like the other wrappers.

P.S. I find the yellow cellophane to be the next best thing to having plume on a cigar.


----------



## JustOneMoreStick (Sep 21, 2009)

I will have to try this smoke test again I think I am doing it wrong what are we supposed to do if the smoke test isnt going well?


----------



## ouirknotamuzd (Jan 29, 2011)

JustOneMoreStick said:


> I will have to try this smoke test again I think I am doing it wrong what are we supposed to do if the smoke test isnt going well?


hmmmmmmmm:smoke:...I'll smoke on it and I'll get back to ya


----------



## dezyrme (Dec 23, 2010)

Great write up Peter. Welcome to the site BTW


----------



## kRaZe15 (Jan 25, 2010)

nice. sounds like i need to do some testing before i decide which stick goes up in smoke. thanks for the info.


----------



## Kampaigner (Jan 28, 2011)

Awesome write up. I couldn't agree more, when my eyes see that yellowish cello, my mouth waters lol.


----------



## Richterscale (Jan 8, 2011)

Definitely a great write up bud..


----------



## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Great post, Peter.

I don't store anything in cello, but I've received a few sticks from people on this forum that came very, very yellowed. That's always a nice sight to see. I also just bought a box of cigars that are 4 years old and they had the telltale signs of being ready to light up.


----------



## Do5ug (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks for the great commentary, Peter. 

Welcome to the ocean.

BTW - GREEEAAAT, clever handle.


----------



## 1029henry (Jan 18, 2010)

I love me some yellowed cello as well. Light her up!


----------



## kenelbow (Jan 14, 2010)

Good stuff Peter. The only thing better than a yellow cello may be a yellow box. I bought a box of Chateau Fuente last week that had been sitting in the shop so long that the plastic on the outside of the box and the box itself were yellow. The owner said he had them at least 5 years! They are in great shape and taste fantastic.


----------

